


Paragons of Virtue and Glory

by ArisuAmiChan



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bleach Secret Santa, Blood and Injury, GrimmIchi Secret Santa, Grimmichi Secret Santa 2020, Injury, M/M, Major Character Injury, Prince/Bodyguard AU, Royalty, Secret Santa, Secret Santa 2020, quiet wound care, wound care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27722314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArisuAmiChan/pseuds/ArisuAmiChan
Summary: With a near assassination attempt on the prince, Ichigo is injured during the battle to defend the kingdom's future leader and his heart.
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40
Collections: 🧡💙The GrimmIchi Server 2020 Secret Santa💙🧡





	Paragons of Virtue and Glory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SenkiroWolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SenkiroWolf/gifts).



The servant brought in a copper pot of steaming water carefully between her hands. It's a testament to her experience or the quality of Grimmjow's staff that she doesn’t bat an eye at Ichigo shirtless in the chair, still bleeding from the wound on his shoulder.

Grimmjow hardly even acknowledges her, except to dunk a towel roughly in the water and begin to clean the wound. It is not as dire as it had seemed in the ballroom-- bloody, but, thanks to Ichigo's hidden armor, neither particularly wide nor deep.

It _could_ _have_ been dangerous, though. Only a few fingers up, and it would have hit Ichigo's neck. To the left, it would have been Ichigo's spine.

"I'm okay," Ichigo assured as Grimmjow cleans the wound, and he swears he feels quick fingers stutter and shake. "Grimmjow, _I'm okay._ "

“I don’t care,” Grimmjow’s voice was gruff, even as his fingers conveyed his worry. “Just give it a couple hours, you’ll hurt soon enough you stupid moron.”

Ichigo didn’t fight it, only allowed Grimmjow to tend to the wound. The young woman had returned, this time with medical supplies and was gone once more. 

He watched Grimmjow work in silence, Argentinian blue eyes intent on the work of somewhat more steady hands. Ichigo hissed as soon as the needle found a home in his flesh, stitches slowly weaving skin back together. 

There wasn’t much for Ichigo to do but wait and block out the pain. “We need to get back to the party,” He murmured, body sagging with exhaustion from the battle. Ichigo hissed in pain as he shifted, muscles screaming their soreness and stitches being pulled. 

His arm was smacked in warning before Grimmjow grabbed the bandage off the tray and unrolled it, pressing the loose end to the injury. “Hold.”

Ichigo obeyed, his own fingers finally shaking from the loss of adrenaline. He opened his mouth to speak, but the sharp look he was given had him closing it once again before he found his voice. “The party…”

“Will continue without us,” Grimmjow responded, wrapping the fabric around the wound and going under Ichigo’s arm. “They’re drunk enough they won’t notice us missing for a few hours.”

“You’re the _liaison_ , Grimmjow! You can’t spend the rest of the night here with me. You have to represent the country. Chad or Ishida can take--”

“I _won’t_ return without you!” He roared, fire in his eyes and anger uncontrolled as Grimmjow shoved the tray away. Items clattered against the metal and the thread tipped over, unwinding as it rolled. “I don’t _care_ if your friends are just as good as you are! They _aren’t_ you!” 

With a headache beginning to bloom, Ichigo acquiesced. “I’ll rest, I promise. Just please return to the party?"

"Tch, like hell I will," Grimmjow murmured, finally rising from the floor. He offered Ichigo a hand, and pulled when it was taken, holding the other man close for a few moments before shoving him towards the bed. Grimmjow kicked off his dress shoes and began to shed his clothing.

He climbed into bed, scowling at Ichigo who still hesitated. "Well?"

“... It wouldn’t be appropriate of me,” Ichigo murmured, a weak sentence of protest that was negated by his climbing into the canopy. He reached for a pillow, hissing in pain as he stretched the wrong way and strained the tender wound. 

Grimmjow caught on quickly, adjusting several of the pillows so Ichigo could lean comfortably against them. “Fool.”

He only chuckled, carefully shifting to lean back into the pillows. “Perhaps next time, I can play the role of prince, hmm?”

“Perhaps next time you won’t try to get your head separated from your body,” The guard groaned as a hand found home in his hair and began to carefully comb out the matted strands. “You’ll need a bath later, as well.”

Ichigo hissed as Grimmjow’s fingers caught on a rather stubborn knot and accidentally pulled. “Later.”

Silence settled between them, Grimmjow’s fingers still combing out sun-lit strands until it was finally untangled. Placing a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder, he twisted him around to speak. “You could have died today.”

“I know.” 

Had they not snuck off from the party to enjoy the more private gardens, then perhaps Ichigo would have never been wounded. Perhaps the assassin wouldn’t have tried to attack if they stayed in the ballroom. 

To many what ifs lingered in their minds, Grimmjow carefully resting his right hand on Ichigo’s cheek, drawing him close for a sweet kiss. They parted slowly, foreheads pressed together still and eyes on the other.

“Thank you for your help, Grimmjow.” Ichigo murmured, recalling the now cooling corpse in the hedge maze. He leaned against the larger man, sighing through his nose.

Grimmjow sighed and began to adjust them so they could lay down. “Don’t do something that reckless again, fool.” 

A smirk graced pink lips. “Yes, my lord.” 

Another kiss before the prince spoke again. “Get some rest, idiot.”

There was a pained grunt followed by shifting and Ichigo finally settled on his uninjured side facing his charge. “In the morning, we’ll have to let them know of this.”

Grimmjow huffed his agreement, grabbing Ichigo’s hand and bringing it up to rest against his chest. “Do not worry me again.”

“Yes, my lord,” Ichigo hissed in pain as he rolled his shoulder, Grimmjow pinning him on his back to lay on top of him. 

“Sleep. I won’t leave you,” Ichigo could only nod under his future king, body sinking into the plush mattress and mind slowly drifting to sleep. Grimmjow didn’t dare move off him, keeping himself there until he too fell asleep.

* * *

Ichigo awoke in pain, grandfather clock in the room chiming the hour. It was hard to tell how late it was, but given the shroud of darkness over the room, it was past midnight. Slowly, he sat up and muffled a cry of pain behind pursed lips, aching shoulder screaming in pain as he shifted to try and leave the warm embrace of the thick bedding.

The prince never stirred, sound asleep as the knight left to relieve himself. Ichigo studied his reflection in the mirror, yellow-white light of the lamp illuminating the stained bandage. He sighed and gingerly touched, scowling at the patchy blood stains. More than likely Ichigo had torn the stitching when he got up. "No use in moping about it."

He startled, whirling around to see Grimmjow in the door watching him. "I wasn't _moping,_ " Ichigo snapped, glaring harshly at the other man. Ignoring the annoyance shining in amber eyes, he entered anyway, fingers gentle as they unwound the ruined bandage. The blue haired man quickly went to work, cleaning the injury. Argentinian blues were narrowed in a glare at the torn stitches. It had been a shoddy job on his part, but it did the job and did it well. 

"You'll need to see the woman. The one with the goody-two-shoes attitude," He murmured, Ichigo sighing beside him. 

"It can wait until the morning. For now, we'll wrap it up and go back to sleep. I'll need something for the pain, however," Ichigo explained, already reaching for the medicine chest over the sink. He opened the twin doors and began to search for fresh bandages and pain relievers. When they were found, Ichigo passed the roll over to Grimmjow so he could begin his work. The orange haired man dry swallowed two pills and lifted his injured arm carefully so the wrapping could continue. 

Task complete and bandages held shut, they shuffled out of the restroom for the bed once again. Grimmjow turned down the covers for Ichigo, already adjusting the pillows so he could be comfortable. "Then we'll sleep. If something happens, wake me. I know you won't sleep after this."

"Am I really that easy to read?" Ichigo asked, already obeying the silent command to crawl into bed. There was a scoff as Grimmjow walked around to the other side and joined Ichigo, laying down beside him with a frown. 

"Sometimes, not often," The young lord admitted, throwing his left arm over Ichigo's waist, pulling him closer. "Besides, your sisters would kill me, anyway."

Ichigo chuckled and sank lower into the bed, twisting so he laid on his good side again. "Karin would. Yuzu would just chastise you until you grew bored."

Another scoff sounded in the darkened room, Ichigo clearly picturing the eye roll. "Just sleep, idiot. 

"Yes, your highness," Ichigo was playfully shoved as he chuckled, Grimmjow pouting. "I'll sleep. Chad and Ishida are making rounds now, and then it'll be Byakuya and Renji." 

There was a grunt of agreement. The clock struck the new hour, Ichigo growing drowsier by the moment. Before he fell asleep, there was a careful press of lips to his forehead. "Next time don't get in their way. Just give me your sword and I'll take care of them..."

He gave a tired hum of acknowledgement, mumbling softly an agreement. "Yes, sir," He returned the kiss, lips landing on a warm shoulder and a throaty chuckle coming from a broad chest as Ichigo settled against Grimmjow for sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Prince/bodyguard AU cause sometimes these things enjoy lingering in my brain. I like the idea of Ichigo being the one to protect Grimmjow or at the very least, pretending to be the prince in his stead. Anyway, thanks for reading! Let me know if you see any mistakes because I'm a sleepless gremlin. If you have a better title, let me know since I borrowed lyrics from a song. Me trying to write with the Oxford comma against everything I'm use to also.
> 
> Will I continue this? IDK. Will I completely rewrite it because I lost my train of thought? IDK. Did I forget the word count and not meet the original goal? Yes, but I fixed it hopefully.


End file.
